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Class system
The class system is a sociological concept first introduced on The Land in LY 902, as a part of The Plan which led to the Coming of the Order. While it's true that for centuries, some people or clans had had more money than others, it had never occurred to most people to think of that implying that anyone was in any fundamental way more worthy than anyone else. This first began to change in 901, when Sorreters started selling spell devices, which at the time were prohibitively expensive, so that they could only be obtained by the wealthy. The usefulness of these devices (as well as expensive technological advances such as indoor plumbing) quickly became apparent, and began making those who couldn't afford them increasingly resentful. In 902, the establishment of banks began to help people make better use of their money, which gradually lessened the divide between classes. It was also around this time that The Order introduced the concept of nobility, a subword which basically meant "upper class." People were noticing that most of those in positions of authority, particularly within the court system which had been established in 899, tended to be among the nobility, which was troubling to many people. This led to the Order suggesting an organized government, which would not only eliminate the need for average citizens to take time they couldn't afford to vote on every matter of (local) public policy that might arise (which was happening now more often than ever before), but also could help bridge the class divide which was becoming more apparent. While it was true that the majority of people who could afford to wage effective campaigns for office, anyone would technically be free to run, and no one would be elected without a majority vote of the people, which meant that those elected would be behooved to serve the best interests of their constituents. It was also around this time that the Order suggested establishing a standardized school system which would provide free education to everyone, which would further reduce the class divide. It was also suggested that if true unity was established between villages, the cost of many things might be reduced, and things which were increasingly coming to be seen as necessities would then be affordable to more than just the nobility. It was during the Coming that a middle class began to visibly emerge; before then, people had mostly been seen as either rich or poor, though this is perhaps not an entirely accurate assessment. However, it is fair to say that many of the erstwhile "poor" became decidedly less so, even if they did not actually become rich. It certainly began to seem more likely than it once had been for people who came from little money could advance their status, and succeeding generations could advance even further, until perhaps one day their clans would be rich. Meanwhile, many of the poor actually became even poorer, in large part because, in spite of the prices on certain items being reduced, as promised, these items still constituted an expense which people had never had before, and spread their income thinner than it once had been. Another factor affecting the lower class, as well as the lower levels of the middle class, was the fact that while primary education was indeed free, secondary education was still prohibitively expensive, which meant that only the nobility, and the upper levels of the middle class, could afford the higher education which led to higher-paying jobs. In spite of this, many people in the lower class were happy to have conveniences they once didn't, as well as equal voting rights with the higher classes. Another factor of their contentment at the situation came from some of the ideas presented by Demos Royal in the last stages of his campaign to become king in the 904 election; it is widely believed that he surpassed the previous favorite candidate to win, Ned Progressive, in large part by romanticizing the notion of peasantry and nobility being integral parts of medieval stories from Earth, a notion which appealed to most Landians' inherent interest in that world. Category:Culture